Mixed in 1980

Chapter 547 Extra One: Xu Jinqiu
I am Xu Jinqiu, Chen Fan's cunning wife.

My childhood wasn't bad; compared to my peers, it was quite good. In the 1960s and 70s, more than 90% of people had both parents working.

But I've also felt lost.

The "Down to the Countryside Movement" was an unavoidable topic for our generation. It was said that there was much to be done in the vast countryside, but we only realized how hard life was after we actually went there.

Especially since Zhao Yuanyuan, that lazybones, was also with them.

At that time, we thought, if we spend our whole lives in the countryside, what hope is there for life?
Some of the older educated youth, in their late twenties or early thirties, like us, would occasionally look towards the city, hoping to return one day.

They have been living in the countryside for many years.

We were also infected by this. Since we couldn't see a way back to the city, we made the best of a bad situation and caused a lot of trouble in the countryside, often treating a group of children like toys.

Okay, I am indeed cunning.

Those were truly tough times, and there was no hope in sight. We just endured each day as it came, taking it one day at a time.

Some couldn't endure it and died.

In 1977, the college entrance examination was reinstated, and the educated youth settlements were bustling with activity as everyone prepared for the exam, hoping to return to the city through this route.

me too.

I've always dreamed of becoming a teacher, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm a terrible student.

Therefore, he failed the exam three times.

Yuanyuan has a better attitude. She said she was taking the college entrance exam, but she was really just accompanying me through the ordeal. Whether she passed or not, she didn't care at all.

In 1979, with the help of my eldest sister, we finally returned to Beijing and started working at the Beijing Dance Troupe, becoming proud "temporary workers".

For that era, it was already very good.

My idea is simple: work for a year and then get a permanent position.

Most people are the same, but in 1980, they met someone who caused their lives to take a 90-degree turn, leading them down an unknown path.

That's right, it's Chen Fan.

Many times, I don't know how to evaluate him. He's a very contradictory person, both domineering and petty, and he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve.

And that mouth of his, it's really talkative.

Such a person, who should theoretically be disliked, is actually very interesting to be with, which is why I was attracted to him.

He truly cares deeply about people.

He also cares deeply about my family. I remember the first time he came to my house, I was very worried that he was not the "good son-in-law" in my parents' eyes.

Chen Fan put a lot of thought into it.

He made my parents beam with joy. They had originally planned to make things difficult for him, but they ended up treating him better than their own son. My two older brothers were extremely envious.

Later, we both got into university.

There's something I have to mention: I always felt that Chen Fan stole the college entrance exam questions. When he tutored me, many of the questions were from the college entrance exam.

Otherwise, how could a mediocre student like me have gotten into university, let alone Beijing Normal University?

Chen Fan didn't say anything, and I didn't ask.

Being a woman who pries into everything is a flaw, but I don't have that flaw. Living a good life is the most important thing; everything else is secondary.

However, Chen Fan is a troublemaker.

Even after we went to university, in my original plan, we would each have a stable job after graduation and live a prosperous life.

That's it.

Who would have thought that after a trip to Hong Kong, Chen Fan would go on a meteoric rise in the business world, leaving me unable to keep up for a long time.

They even felt that they were a useless person.

In 1983, Chen Fan proposed to do charity work: "You've read a lot of history, don't you think? How many of the great merchants in history had a good ending?"

"Charity is also a protective shell."

“Teacher Xu, from now on I’ll be in charge of making money, and you’ll be in charge of building a protective shell for our home.”

At that moment, I felt a warm feeling in my heart, a sense of being needed, and for many years afterward, I did this very seriously.

Before I retired, I established 15862 Spark Hope schools, donated 10876 Spark teaching buildings, and built 239 welfare homes, and sponsored 578 million impoverished students.

Who wouldn't be satisfied with such achievements?

As a woman, I have my own page in the Chen family genealogy, I received the July 1st Medal of Honor, and I am included in the brief history of the People's Republic of China.

This is what I, Xu Jinqiu, left behind.

Even a hundred or a thousand years from now, when people talk about education, they will still be able to mention me, Xu Jinqiu.

Marrying Chen Fan will bring you happiness for the rest of your life.

Back in 1988, Chen Fan had already achieved tremendous success in business, with wealth far exceeding that of the so-called world's richest man at the time.

I don't really care about that.

The birth of their son was the most important event. Their generation was named after the character "言" (yan), and Chen Fan chose the character "谨" (jin) in the hope that the child would be careful in his words and actions when he grew up.

Children often fail to meet their parents' expectations.

This little rascal inherited all the flaws from me and Chen Fan. He's completely devoid of the virtues of being cautious in speech and action, and he's even more arrogant than his father.

The family has worried a lot about this child.

Not only do I keep an eye on him, but my older sister is even stricter, afraid that he will go astray. Only Yuanyuan spoils him.

Fortunately, the child didn't turn out badly; he's a genius.

In 2011, at the young age of 22, he earned his doctorate, began to inherit the family business, and married such a wonderful girl as Ye Wan.

Later, he married Ye Ling, who was able to keep him in check.

With that, I can rest assured.

In fact, all five children in the family are quite reassuring as they grow up, even the youngest one, who is so naughty, is still very reassuring in the end.

After officially retiring, I didn't have anything important to do.

Being filial to one's parents-in-law and parents, helping to take care of children, and occasionally going on trips—this is a perfect way to end one's life.

However, one still has to worry about one's children.

Zhao Yuanyuan is right. Children are all debt collectors, and you have to support your fourth and fifth children, so you have no choice but to step out from behind the scenes and into the spotlight.

The fourth daughter is spoiled by everyone in the family, but just like Zhao Yuanyuan, she's a lazy bum who needs a push to turn over.

And she really is capable of turning things upside down.

The identification of Hetian jade pebbles, markets, and the stock market have transformed Hetian jade pebbles into financial products, earning its place in the history of economics—a remarkable achievement.

The one who impressed everyone the most was Xiao Wu.

He was a mischievous kid from a young age, but he was also a master at integrating resources. "Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company" has grown into an agricultural behemoth.

Xiao Wu is the most stable.

Leaving aside the Chinatown supermarket, Chen Xiaowu Green Food Company concerns the employment of millions of people, and no one dares to touch it lightly.

They even have to protect this company.

In 2025, we'll split up!

Just like they said when they got married in 1984, one of the children would get the lion's share, and the rest would be divided among the others, including Chen Yi and Xiao Xi.

The separation of the family did not result in any scandals.

Seeing the harmonious relationship between the siblings, I felt very gratified. Before this, I was quite worried that they would fight over the family property.

To be honest, Chen Fan has a really big heart.

After the family split up, he completely stopped caring about things. If any of the children asked a question, they would inevitably be scolded. In his words, "Do I have to worry about you for the rest of my life?"

Let them do what they want!
I don't want to interfere. My mother has worked hard all her life doing charity, putting a thick protective shell on the children. If they still want to do something reckless, no one can stop them. Besides, I'm getting old and just want to live a peaceful life.

In 2030, my alma mater, Beijing Normal University, approached me, saying they wanted to erect a statue in my honor. I was flattered and somewhat ashamed.

Since its establishment in the 1980s, the Hsu Chin-Chiu Charitable Foundation has spent countless sums of money, but has never donated to its alma mater.

Money is spent wisely.

The grassroots need money more. Not only me, but Chen Fan has never donated money to Peking University either.

Therefore, I feel ashamed.

People at my alma mater believe I deserve it and insist on erecting a statue for me. After thinking about it, I decided to donate 200 million yuan to my alma mater.

"Erecting a statue is permissible."

"There are four of us in the family. I'm in charge of spending money, and the other three are in charge of making money."

It was an unreasonable request, but my alma mater agreed to it.

Because of this, I bragged quite a bit: "Comrades Chen Fan, Zeng Ali, and Zhao Yuanyuan, I'm letting you three benefit from this."

Their response was to roll their eyes three times.

"Oh, you're quite arrogant."

Then, the three of them gave me a good beating. That's how life goes.

When you're young and go to the countryside, you have to find joy in hardship. When you get older, you still need to find joy. If you really lose your joy, then life is coming to an end.

Grandchildren and grandfathers are growing up one after another.

Especially after getting married, the house was no longer big enough, so they moved out one after another. Anyway, there were many courtyard houses, so there was no shortage of places to go.

Some children also prefer to live in apartment buildings.

Let them do as they please.

I don't care. Life is so good now. Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. Life changes every day, or at least every year.

Even though I'm getting older, I can still understand.

Especially for China, after enduring those years, we finally dethroned the United States from its number one position and took it for ourselves.

Life has been different since then.

After the situation became clear, the second-in-command started making moves again, re-entering the financial market and investing around the world. With the backing of the country, the investments have always been very stable.

However, problems arose regarding the successor.

The second son has four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are well-educated, but none of them are as outstanding as the second son and can manage so much of the family business.

This is inevitable.

Anyway, I've come to terms with it, and Chen Fan doesn't care either. He always says, "If you can squander the foundation I built for you, then you're really capable."

Despite saying this, Chen Fan actually dotes on his grandchildren and children alike; he always presents himself as a loving father and grandfather.

Chen Fan had a lot of money on him.

There was also a large collection of finished jade and jadeite products in the basement.

These were left to their children, and eventually distributed among their grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and Chen Yi and Xiao Xi's children.

The second son enjoyed a period of glory for over a decade, but when he saw that his successor's abilities couldn't keep up, he began to scale back, preserving the core industries while selling off the rest.

In the end, just like his father, he hoarded safe-haven assets and told his children, "Your generation shouldn't bother with all this."

Just hold onto the assets I gave you.

The second son is also incredibly generous to the next generation. Whether it's his nephews, nieces, or maternal grandnephews, as long as they are in business, he will give them a share of the business.

Dispersing assets and shrinking family structure.

Chen Fan and I just watched without saying a word. No matter how much the family shrank, the Chen family remained incredibly prosperous and had accumulated a large fortune.

Gold alone amounts to an astronomical sum.

The next few generations will never be able to finish squandering it all.

Chen Fan's chosen path was also correct: he did not pass on wealth and status to his family, but insisted on passing on morality.

The family has always been committed to charity, and the children understand hardship. None of the twelve grandchildren are spendthrifts or fond of luxury.

We must continue this kind of education in the future.

When I was young, I once joked that the three of us sisters could outlast Chen Fan.

Little did I know that my words would come true.

Chen Fan was not as resilient as us; he closed his eyes at the age of eighty-five. On that day, CCTV and the Daily published his obituary, summarizing Chen Fan's life.

I wanted to go with him.

I've spent my whole life with him, used to being by his side, but that bastard actually saw through my thoughts and even held my hand before he died to give me his final instructions.

"Live well and watch over my children."

"Especially the second son, he's not easy to deal with. I'm afraid he might suddenly get cocky one day."

"There are many good days ahead. Technology is advancing rapidly. Please take a look for me and tell me about it later so that I can broaden my horizons."

That bastard just left like that.

In the days that followed, she couldn't help but think of him. Thinking about her whole life, from the age of eighteen, Chen Fan had spoiled and indulged her for the rest of her life.

Whenever this happens, I can't stand the sight of my second son.

He nitpicks at the second child, scolding him whenever he sees him, and if he gets really angry, he'll even hit him a few times. It's all because of this troublesome child.

If he were less of a worry, I could just close my eyes and go with him.

I know this is wrong, but I just can't help it.

It took me three years to recover from the grief, and my relationship with my mother began to improve. I started to make a fuss again, wanting to revisit the places I had visited in my youth.

Let's take another look at life as we go.

Just like Chen Fan said, when I go down there, I can talk to him and broaden his horizons.

I've been struggling for many years now.

Once when I came back, I was assigned to do a TV interview. The host was a stranger, and most of the hosts I knew had passed away or retired.

But I feel a connection with this child.

Her grandparents lived in the mountains. They received the Xu Jinqiu scholarship, attended Xinghuo Hope Primary School, left the mountains, and ultimately changed their fate.

"Grandma Xu, I heard that you've been traveling for the past few years, retracing the path you took when you were young."

I chuckled at that.

"Yes, as people get older, they become nostalgic."

"My old man said before he died that technology is advancing rapidly and he wanted me to see more of it so that I could tell him when I passed away."

Host: "Do you think there have been big changes?"

"How could it not be big? Starting in the 1980s, I went to the mountains every year. Back then, there were mud roads everywhere, and in many places, donkeys and mules were used."

"After 2010, it was like a completely different world."

“Now, the changes are even greater. Every few years, there are completely new changes. If I didn’t have a good mindset, I probably wouldn’t be able to adapt.”

"Really, things are changing too fast."

“I want to go downstairs as soon as possible, chat with my old man, and broaden his horizons. He used to be the one who broadened my horizons.”

"But I never die."

(End of this chapter)